Indicating apparatus for shafts.



F. w. G. BRUHN. INDICATING APPARATUS FOR SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. I9I6.

Pat'ented Jan. 1, 1918.

I IIIII HIIIIII I Hwa H56 'Jg 1 vEmpire, residing at Berlin,

' ber of revolutions FRIEDRICH WILHELM GUSTAV BRUHN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

INDICATING APPARATUS FOR SHAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

Application led March 28, 1916. Serial No. 87,234.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICHWILHELM GUs'rAv BRUHN, a citizen of the German in the Kingdom `of Prussia, German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indicating Apparatus for Shafts, of which the followinfr is a specification. Y

y invention relates to an indicating apparatus for shafts or spindles rotating with any intermittences, whereby both the numof a revolving shaft or spindle and else, with the aid of an indicating mechanism driven from a clockwork mechanism (hereinafter for shortness referred to las a clock) the total duration of the periods of rotation of the rotary shaft or spindle are indicated.

The rotary shaft may appertain to any machine or apparatus, or it may receive its drive from the wheel of a motor or other vehicle or the like. In the latter case the indicating apparatus can measure and indicate the total of the distances traversed by the vehicle and the total duration of the periods of traveling.

According in and out of the indicating mechanism serving for indicating the total duration of the periods of revolution of the rotary shaft or spindle is effected by the relative axial movement of two wheels, one of which is driven from the rotary shaft, and the other from the clock that serves to drive the indicating mechanism. Y

The invention is illustrated in one example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation of the apparatus, the section being taken on A-B Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus, while Fig. 3 is a detail view in which, for greater clearness, the wheels whose relative axial movement effects the throwing in and out of the indicating mechanism are shown separately from Fig. l.

38 is the rotary shaft of which the total vnumber of revolutions and the total duration of the periods of rotation are to be lmeasured and indicated. From the shaft 38 a counter 44 is driven in the known way by means of aworm 39, worm wheel 40,

to the invention the throwingV worm 41, worm wheel 42 and toothed wheel 43, and serves, according to the particular purpose or application of the apparatus, for indicating either the number of revolutions of the shaft or the distances run say in kilometers or tenths of kilometers. On the shaft 3S is fixed a wheel 45 which meshes with a wheel 46 fixed on its spindle 47. To the spindle 47 is fixed the inner end of a clockwork driving spring (not shown)` the outer end of which bears and slips in the known way against the inner wall of a barrel 43. The toothed wheel or rim 49 of the spring barrel is of the same size as the wheel 46 and meshes direct with the pinion 50 of the escapement wheel 51, which is checked in the known way by an anchor 52 and balance wheel 53., The wheels 46 and 49 mesh .illustrated the friction clutch consists o f a spring l53 bearing on the one hand against acollar or flange 59 of the spindle 56, and on the other hand against the wheel 54. The wheel 55 is likewise not fast on the spindle 56, but by means of inclined engaging faces it is constrained to move axially on the spindle 56 as soon as it is turned relatively to the spindle. In the example illustrated the spindle 56` is formed `with a screw thread at its upper part and the toothed wheel 55 works thereon as a nut. Consequently when relative turning motion occurs vbetween toothed wheel 55 and spindle 56 the toothed wheel 55 is caused to move axially on the spindle 56. In the boss of the toothedwheel 55 is turned a groove 60 in which engages a light lever 6l capable of pivoting or swinging about its left hand end. In the example illustrated the lever 6l consists of a leaf spring connected at its left hand end to a fixedv part of the apparatus. The right hand end of the lever 6l is bent obliquely upward. "When the wheel 55 is moved axially up or down on the spindle 56, the right hand endv indicating device.

tion of a pin 62 fixed to the balance wheel 68. lli/Then the lever 6l is in its lower position the balance wheel 53 can vibrate freely. When the lever 6l is raised to the position shown, the balance wheel is stopped, as the right hand end of the lever 6l then comes in front of the pin The lever 6I and the pin 62 are so arranged that the balance ywheel53 is held near its point ofreversal. 0n release of the stop the balance wheel at once begins to vibrate. Y

Let us assume that the parts of the apparatus are in the position seen in Fig. l, that the slip spring (not shown) in the barrel 48 is wound up a little and that the rotary shaft 38 is stationary. If now the rotary shaftr88 commences to rotate, the wheels 45, 46 and 54 will be turned in the directions shown by the arrows. The spindle l56 will be driven by the'wheel 54 andfin the same direction as this wheel by means of the friction clutch 58. As the spring barrel wheel 49 is stationary owino' to the stoppage of the balance wheel, the wheel 55 is held against rotation. Consequently the spindle 56, rotatingY with the wheel 54, screws into the wheel 55 and causes this to move down axially, with the result that the lever 6l is rocked downward and releases the balance wheel; the cloclr work 48, 49, 50, 5l, 52, 53 vbegins to go, the motion being controlled by the escapeinent. The wheel 46 usually runs faster than the wheel 49. Consequently'the whee F4 also runs faster than the wheel Therefore the wheel 55 is moved farther down until it comes against the collar or flange 59. On the occurrence of further lead of the wheel 54, the spindle 56 cannot be rotated by the wheel 54 at the same speed as lthis wheel, but lags behind it, this being rendered possible by the friction clutch 58. As the wheel 49 rotates slower than wheel 46, said wheel 49 cannot move wheel 55 faster than spindle 56 is driven by wheel 54, hence wheel 55 will not be moved upward on the spindle during the rotation of shaft 38.

Vhen, however, the shaft 38 is stationary the wheel 55, driven by the wheel 49, screws upward again and the vclock is again stopped.

- AThe transmission ratio isso chosen that 'at the very vleast speed which can occur lin practice the wheel 49 is overtaken by the wheel 46.

By reason of the arrangement described therefore the clockwork will go lso long as the shaft 38 is rotating.

As the clockwork itself represents a time meter it is only necessary to transmit its Amotion to an indicating mechanism or other In the example illustrated the indicating device consists of a counter 66 similar to the counter 44, and receiving its drive from the wheel 49 by means of the wheel 63, worin 64 and worm wheel 65.

The apparatus as illustrated can be employed direct as a distance and time meter for any'vehicle. If the shaft 38 is driven `from a vehicle-wheel the distances traveled will be indicated in kilometers and tenths oflrilometers by the counter 44, and the total duration of the times occupied by the individual journeys vwill be indicated in hours and tenths of hours by the counter 66.

The drive of thewheel 49 may also'befeffected by a vseparate or special clock'wound up by hand. In such acase the throwing out and in of the time counter can fbe yeffected, as in theexam'ple illustrated, by stoppage or release ofthe balance wheel.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described,

the combination of ay rotaryA shaft, mecha- Vmsm for indicating the' duration-of rotationx of saidshaft, cloclrmechanism for ,driving the indicatingmechanism, a spindle, a Vwheel thereon drivenv by the-shaft and adaptedto rotate the spindle, a wheel on the latter adaptedtojbedriven by the clock mechanism, and movable axially onthe spindle by therotation of they latter, 'andineans operated `by said axial movement to release theclock mechanism.

2. 'In a device of the character described,

the combination of a rotary shaft, mechanisin for indicating the 'duration of rotation of said shaft, clock mechanism for driving the indicating mechanism, a'spindle, a wheel thereon'driven by the shaft and ada-pted toI` rotate the spindle, astop memberfor the clock mechanism,A and a wheelaxially movable on the spindle in driving-connection with the'cloclr mechanism to actuate the stop member to lock the clock mechanism.

3. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of a rotary shaft, mechanism for indicating the duration of rotation of said shaft, clock mechanism for driving the indicating mechanism, a spindle, a wheel thereon inl driving connection withv -said shaft, a friction clutclrconnecting thewheel and spindle, a wheel on the'spindle in driving connectionwith the clock :mechanism and movable vaxially on the spindle by a relative movement of the wheel and spindle and a stopping device for the clock mechanism-actuatedby` the axial movement ofsaid axiallymovable wheel.

4. In a device of the character described,"

the combination of a rotary shaft, mechanisin for indicating the duration of rotation of said shaft, clock mechanism for driving the indicating mechanism, a spindle, a pinion thereon in gear with said s'haft,a friction clutch connecting the pinion and Y Lasis spindle, an internally threaded pinion In witness whereof have hereunto sei;Y

mounted on a threaded portion of the spinmy hand in presence of two Witnesses.

die a ear included in the clock mechanism in mes with the threaded pinion, and a I FRIEDRICH WILHELM GUSTAV BRUHN' stopping device for the clock mechanism Wltnesses:

adapted to be actuated by said threaded pin- HENRY HASPER,

ion to stop and start the clockvmechanism. ALLEN F. JENNINGS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

